With regard to the microbiology of dried foods, an important facet is the nature of microbial injury. The objective of this project is to determine and quantitate the types of injury that cells incur as a result of a drying process. Our approach is to study the repair process that Salmonella typhimurium undergoes as a result of the drying process. The method is to use a well controlled drying process and understand how changes in previous microbial physiology alter the repair process. In addition, investigations into macromolecular synthesis (DNA, RNA, protein) and other metabolic processes are conducted in order to understand the biochemical events that occur during repair and recovery of injured cells. In understanding how drying effects of microbial injury, we have chosen to determine the role of water activity on the survival and repair process that microorganisms undergo.